Digital Accessibility
Why Accessibility?
By prioritizing digital accessibility, we foster an inclusive atmosphere that not only meets the needs of our students, faculty, and staff with disabilities but also benefits everyone in our community.
Incorporating digital accessibility into our online platforms and learning materials allows us to:
By ensuring that our digital resources are accessible to all, we provide an equal chance for everyone to participate, engage, and excel in their academic pursuits.
Accessible design principles promote a better user experience for everyone, making our content more user-friendly, easy to navigate, and understandable.
Accessible content caters to various learning styles and preferences, empowering all learners to engage with the material in a way that suits their needs.
By prioritizing digital accessibility, we demonstrate our commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive environment that values all community members' unique perspectives and experiences.
Adhering to digital accessibility standards helps us meet our obligations under the following laws and policies.
United States Federal Law
- Sections 504 (public sector) and 508 (government and higher education) of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (public and private sector).
State Law
CSU Policy
In 2012, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as the international standard, which the United States adopted as its national standard in 2018.
Accessibility versus Accommodations
Accommodation and accessibility serve different but related purposes to ensure inclusivity for all students and our campus community.
Accessibility is about designing courses, materials, and environments from the beginning to be usable by a wide range of students, including those with disabilities. It focuses on proactively removing barriers and making information and resources easy to access for everyone.
Accommodation, on the other hand, involves making specific changes or providing additional support to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. These adjustments are made after the content or environment is already in place and aim to ensure equal access and opportunities for students who face specific challenges.
To simplify, accessibility is a proactive approach to make education inclusive for all, while accommodation is a reactive approach to address individual needs and remove barriers for students with disabilities. Both are essential for fostering an inclusive and supportive learning and working environment on our campus.
Related Services
For student accommodations, don't hesitate to contact the Student Disability and Accessibility Center.
For course or learning materials accessibility, please get in touch with digitalaccessibility@csumb.edu.
Next Steps
Now that you have an understanding of why it's important to apply accessibility guidelines start with these basic principles to get started!